Bottom Line: Studies in rats show that the active ingredient in Garcinia Cambogia can inhibit a fat producing enzyme called Citrate Lyase and increase serotonin levels, leading to significant weight loss.

A Look at Some Human Studies
Fortunately, I also found several human studies on Garcinia Cambogia.

All of these studies are so-called randomized controlled trials, which are the gold standard of scientific experiments in humans.

The biggest of the studies included 135 overweight individuals, which were split into two groups (7):

Treatment group: 3 grams of Garcinia Cambogia Extract (a total of 1500mg Hydroxycitric acid) in three separate doses, 30 minutes before meals.
Placebo group: The other group took dummy pills (placebo).
Both groups also went on a high-fiber, low calorie diet.

These were the results of the 12 week study, which was published in The Journal of The American Medical Association (a highly respected scientific journal):

Heymsfield, et al. 1998

As you can see, both groups lost weight.

But the group taking Garcinia Cambogia extract actually lost less weight (3.2 kg – 7 pounds) than the placebo group (4.1 kg – 9 pounds).

The researchers also looked at body fat percentage. The placebo group lost 2.16%, while the group taking Garcinia Cambogia lost only 1.6%.

However, the difference was not statistically significant, meaning that the results could have been due to chance.

More Studies
In another study with 89 overweight females, Garcinia Cambogia did lead to 1.3 kg (2.8 pounds) more weight loss compared to placebo, over a period of 12 weeks. They found no difference in appetite between groups (8).

Overall, I looked at 4 more studies. Two of them showed weight loss of a few pounds over a period of 8 weeks (9, 10), but the other two showed no effect (11, 12).

So… unfortunately, the weight loss effects appear to be both weak and inconsistent.

A review published in the Journal of Obesity in 2011 that looked at 12 clinical trials found that Garcinia Cambogia can increase weight loss by about 0.88 kg, or 2 pounds, on average, over a period of several weeks (13).

Their conclusion sums it up quite nicely:

“…Garcinia extracts/HCA can cause short-term weight loss. The magnitude of the effect is small, and the clinical relevance is uncertain.”

I agree. It may cause a mild effect in some people, but overall the effects are small and unlikely to make a major difference

Bottom Line: There have been many studies conducted on Garcinia Cambogia in overweight individuals. Some of them show a small amount of weight loss, while other studies show no effect.

Garcinia Cambogia Appears to be Very Safe
Bottle With Blue Pills

It is important to keep in mind that these studies usually only report averages.

It is possible that some individuals can in fact lose weight with this supplement, although it doesn’t seem to work very well on average.

At least, Garcinia Cambogia appears to be safe. There are no serious side effects, only some reports of mild digestive issues (14).

It is best to get a brand with at least 50% Hydroxycitric acid. The most common dosage is 500 mg, 3 times per day, half an hour before meals.

If you want to buy garcinia cambogia despite the poor results in the studies, then there is a great selection of brands with thousands of customer reviews on Amazon.

If Garcinia Cambogia Doesn’t Work, Then What Does?
I’ve been experimenting with and researching supplements for years, but I have yet to find a weight loss supplement that actually works.

There are a few that appear to be mildly effective. This includes Caffeine, Green Tea and Glucomannan (a fiber that can reduce appetite). However, the results are usually weak and inconsistent and certainly nothing to get excited about.

At the end of the day, the only thing that is really proven to help you lose weight is changing your diet. Exercise can help too, but what you eat is by far the most important.

For a proven way to lose weight without hunger, check out this article.

Take Home Message
One day, science might discover a supplement or a drug that actually works for weight loss… and I hope we do, believe me.

But it is clear from the studies that Garcinia Cambogia isn’t it. Period.